Easter treats Peeps turn 60

“Peeps” Easter candy turns 60 years old this year, and the story of the sugary treat has been one of sweet success. NBC’s Katie Tur reports.

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This content comes from Closed Captioning that was broadcast along with this program.

>>>tomorrow is easter sunday, and for many, it's hard to imagine spending that holiday without a certain small colorful marshmallow snack. peeps turned 60 years old this year and the story of the sugary treat has been one of sweet success.

>> reporter: every winter, spring starts to line the shelves.
hot pink
, neon yellow and
electric blue
faces that can trigger a thousand memories of easters past.

>>i love how they're yummy and sweet and gooey.

>>they're just delicious.

>> reporter: 60 years since the first peep was hatched. the sugar-coated marshmallow has become a lot more than just a treat. they can be a test of fortitude. a test of
true love
. or for the kids at friendship valley elementary in
maryland
, a test of the mind.

>>we had to work on how we were going to engineer and design the contrapti contraption.

>> reporter: there are no rules in the world of peeps, especially when it comes to eating them. bite the head off first. after all, some say that is the most humane way to do it. nibble all around the sides, but that's just cruel to those
waiting in the wings
. or stick the whole thing in your mouth at once and let it dissolve so the others don't know what happened. although if you ask anyone who works at the peeps factory, the best way is any way, so long as it's right off the
conveyor belt
. how many do you eat in a day?

>>i have to be honest with you, no more than a dozen.

>> reporter: aptly situated in bethlehem, pennsylvania, the peeps factory turns out 4 million chicks and bunnies a day, 1 billion for easter alone. 3,810 of those went into
big bird
at this year's peep art show in
carroll county
,
maryland
, where their peep art could even be a peep bart. and where the friendship valley kids hope their masterpiece will take home the gold.

>>actually, ours is with it.

>> reporter: a place and a treat that can even make a grown-up feel like a kid again. i went to the peep factory.